A MAN in pyjamas tried to cut down a tree with a chainsaw before police swooped and arrested him.

He sliced more than three-quarters of the way through the trunk of a 30-year-old beech tree in Rose Avenue, Tolladine, Worcester, which was in danger of falling on people, houses and cars.

Witnesses called police at 1.42am yesterday after they were disturbed by what some had thought to be motorbike engines.

Later yesterday morning the arboriculture team from Worcester City Council were called in to cut the tree down because it was unsafe.

Michael Griffiths, aged 54, who lives opposite the tree, said: “The police van pulled up and they all jumped out and said, ‘Put the chainsaw down!’ “He had stalled it and was trying to restart it as the coppers pulled up.

“He was saying something to them but I couldn’t hear it.

“At first I thought it was a motorbike but I looked out the window and it was like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. My wife was saying, ‘What are you doing you silly man?’ but I said, ‘You’d better shut up or he’ll be over here’.

“It would have probably fallen on our car if the council had left it.

“I told the lad next door to move his car.”

One resident, who declined to be named, said: “He was in his pyjamas. I just rang the police.

“He was trying to start the chainsaw again when five police cars came.”

The team from Worcester City Council was forced to take the 35ft tree down.

John Hancock, the senior arborist, said: “It was a perfectly healthy tree. I have never seen anything like this.

“We get vandalised trees but not to the extent that someone has cut three-quarters of the way through.

“Now we have to cut the whole tree down. It’s very unsafe.

“If left it would have fallen in the direction of the road. Given the location and the direction of the cut traffic is at risk and pedestrians are at risk as well as property and phone lines.

“It’s one less tree in the city and in this day and age you’re lucky to get trees replaced.”

Mr Hancock estimated the cost of removing and replacing a healthy tree could be more than £1,000 but now the remains of the tree will be cut up and sold as firewood.

A West Mercia Police spokesman confirmed that a man believed to be in his 30s had been arrested and was in police custody.